British typhoon jets intercept Russian aircraft near NATO zone
British Typhoon fighters intercepted Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea, near NATO airspace. The incidents took place on Tuesday and Thursday.
The British Ministry of Defence reported two incidents involving Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea. On Tuesday, British Typhoon fighters were dispatched to intercept a Russian Ił-20M reconnaissance plane. Two days later, on Thursday, British fighters responded to the presence of an unknown aircraft leaving the airspace of Kaliningrad.
Is Putin "testing" NATO? Russian fighters intercepted
The Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, highlighted the importance of these actions amid growing aggression from Russia. "With Russian aggression growing and security threats on the rise, we are stepping up to reassure our allies, deter adversaries and protect our national security through our plan for change," said Pollard, as reported by Reuters.
Pollard also noted that this mission demonstrates the United Kingdom's ability to cooperate with NATO's new member, Sweden, and to defend the alliance's airspace at any place and time. "This mission demonstrates our ability to operate shoulder to shoulder with NATO's new member, Sweden, and to defend the alliance's airspace at any place and time, thus ensuring security at home and abroad," he stated in a remark.
So far, the Russian side has not commented on these two incidents.
